Fairy tales are great stories for helping young people work out complicated moral issues in a make-believe context. Found in countries all around the world, the same story plays out in different contexts. Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters is a "Cinderella" story from Africa in which kindness...
This lesson introduces the characteristics of fairy tales as a genre. The children explore positive and negative character traits and universal themes in the story of Cinderella. The service plan is introduced in this lesson and carried out over the next weeks.
Community members share stories of experiences in philanthropy.
Author: Urban EdVenture Faculty
Youth research and report back to the group about the nonprofit organizations that are serving their community and the many facets of community life that nonprofits are involved in.
Author: Urban EdVenture Faculty
Based on the book The Runaway Rice Cake, the group writes a familiar story from a different perspective. The moral of the story is that when the character gives generously and from the heart, the giver is also rewarded in some way.
Through discussion of the book The Seven Chinese Brothers, learners recognize that using our talents and working together to help others has benefits greater than the opportunity cost (what we gave up to take generous action).
All cultures have practices and customs regarding hospitality, or how we treat guests. In these folktales, we learn about different expectations and degrees of these customs and how travelers test the limits of hospitality and feel the effects of their host's generosity.
To discuss the wisdom of giving and receiving gifts. What makes a gift or giver wise or foolish? How should you decide what you should give?
The youth read the book Seedfolks and discuss the diverse characters and their individual contributions to a community garden. While learning about the thirteen individuals in the story, they identify their character, heritage, motivations, and contributions to nourishing...
Students read an old quote about the interconnection of all life on the planet and recognize that we are each affected by what happens to others and the environment. They will analyze current local, state, national and international issues addressed in the evening news. They become...